East Macon roads closer to being paved

Three dirt roads in east Macon, which the mayor and Macon City Council fought about for much of the past year, will soon be paved.

The council is expected to pass a budget change during tonight’s 6 p.m. meeting at City Hall to pony up money needed for the project. The city’s Public Works Department already has done some of the prep work for the roads, but a contractor will follow up with asphalt, starting about the first of the year, Engineering Department head Bill Causey said Tuesday.

The paving of Howard Street, Tyler Place and Molly Drive presumably will put to rest one conflict among Mayor Robert Reichert and the council, particularly east Macon members. The pavings were budgeted to happen long before now, but Reichert held the money back, saying the city’s budget was stretched thin.

Council members didn’t buy that and had pushed his administration for months to get moving on the street pavings.

The budget change for the street pavings was one of several items approved Monday by the council’s Appropriations Committee.

The following contracts also cleared the committee and are expected to pass the full council during tonight’s meeting:

n $83,875 to buy five Ford Fusion cars for the police department from Peach County Ford.

n $15,233 to buy two 72-inch zero-turn mowers for the Parks and Recreation Department from Ace Hardware of Gray.

n $23,893 to buy four 60-inch zero-turn mowers for the Parks and Recreation Department from Jack’s Saw Shop in Macon.

n $98,252 to buy a large truck for the Public Works Department from Bartow Ford in Florida.

n $63,994 to buy a backhoe for the Public Works Department from Yancey Brothers Co. in Macon.

n $277,500 to buy a landfill crawler dozer for the Public Works Department from Tractor & Equipment Co. in Jones County. This equipment is used to push dirt over trash at the landfill as required by environmental regulations.

To contact writer Travis Fain, call 744-4213.